Fatherhood
by Kroissant
Summary: When Estelle is required to attend an important council meeting, Yuri takes up the responsibility to take care of their children. ***(ONE-SHOT/Semi-sequel to Father and Son)*** (HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING FATHER AND SON BEFORE PROCEEDING)


**Hey, everyone! This is Kroissant!**

**I've suddenly rekindled my spark to write more and as always, the fanfic came from my dreams.**  
**This time, depicting a certain swordsman as a father taking care of his children (semi-sequel to Father and Son and is set about two months after)**

**The title of this one-shot is inspired by the definition itself:**

**Fatherhood: the state of being a father (and caring for his children).**

* * *

The sun rose high and above the mountains, spreading its golden radiance throughout the nearby small settlements. Located at the central part of the Ilyccia continent was the scenic town renowned for its large blossoming tree—Halure, otherwise known as the City of Blossoms.

At the base of the tree was a two-story house with a wide front yard consisting of a garden abundant of white lilies, pink roses, and purple dahlias.

On the second floor, inside the master room, a pink-haired woman silently emerged from the adjoining bathroom.

Donning a green and beige floral-themed dress and with a hint of makeup, Estelle brought her hands behind her long, pink hair and twisted it around to produce a one-sided ponytail which spilled evenly on both sides of her bare shoulders. Satisfied, she maneuvered her way through the dark room and seizing hold of the purple curtains in the window, proceeded to move them away, allowing a burst of sunlight to invade the once darkened space.

Her ears picked up the sound of a low groan.

Smiling, the princess gracefully made her way over to the king-sized bed where her husband slept comfortably under the sheets. Upon closer inspection, he seemed to have his right arm wrapped around a small bundle curled up on his naked chest in a protective manner. Bending her knees slightly, the pink-haired woman giggled lightly as she began to poke her husband on his right cheek.

When she didn't receive a response, her grin widened.

"Yuri," She whispered his name, and once more, poked him a few times.

Finally, the swordsman stirred from his sleep.

Yawning, he rubbed his eyes and turned his head to face his beaming wife. "…Estelle?" He slurred, still half-asleep. "What's with the fancy dress you're wearing?"

Estelle blinked. "You don't remember?" She watched her husband shake his head and sighed. "I have to attend a conference with Ioder at Deidon Hold," Catching sight of his surprised expression, she smiled reassuringly and added, "Don't worry, it won't take long. I'll be back by nightfall,"

Registering her words, Yuri slowly nodded.

"What about you, Yuri?" Estelle pressed on, gaining his attention. "Do you have guild duties today?"

Yuri half-shrugged. "Not that I know of," He replied, letting out another yawn.

"Then, would it be alright for you to take care of the kids today?"

Now fully awake, Yuri smiled, "Sure thing," And then leaned a bit closer, shooting her a long, intense stare.

Taking note of this, Estelle tipped her head to the side and asked if something was wrong.

To her relief, her husband shook his head. The twinkle embedded in his ebony eyes and his mischievous smirk proved this to be otherwise. "Nothing, just thought that your dress would look great on the floor,"

Hearing this, Estelle turned crimson red. "Yuri!" And hit him on the shoulder, causing him to laugh boisterously.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," He assured her, followed by a wink. "Or maybe not,"

Estelle puffed her cheeks, folding her arms and avoiding his gaze as she looked the other way.

Once his laughter ceased, Yuri slanted his body backward to gently seize the sleeping newborn lying next to him. "So, you're leaving at what time?" He wondered as he offered the bundle to his wife.

"After breakfast," Estelle answered, gladly accepting their sleeping daughter into her arms and as she rose from the ground, retreated a few steps back to allow her husband to stand up as well. She smiled as she watched the dark-haired man stretch his arms above his head before proceeding to rearrange the piles of pillows and distorted blankets.

Yuri nodded, listening intently to her words. After tidying up their bed, he wandered over to one of the wooden cabinets to fetch a white tank top and pushed his head and arms through the holes.

"Since Deidon Hold is nearby, a carriage would be arriving in town," She added in before averting her attention to the newborn in her hold. "You hear that, Ann? You'll be spending the day with Daddy and your siblings,"

Ann squealed, extending her tiny hands out to her mother with a smile on her face.

Yuri cracked a grin as he listened to his wife conversing with their third newborn. He strolled back toward her and with an impish smirk, snaked his arms around her waist and dipped down to give her a kiss on the forehead, then repeating the same gesture on baby Ann.

Suddenly, they heard scampering footsteps in the hallways.

Breaking away, the pair cast each other a knowing look as they broadened their grins.

"Here they come~" Estelle sang along as she turned around to face the exit of their room.

The door burst open, revealing their excited six-year-old daughter running toward them with her chubby little hand holding tight of her four-year-old brother who clumsily followed after her.

Not too far away from them was Repede and his pups—with Lambert and Zephyr racing each other to catch up to their respective partners while poor Lamia was scooped up by her father.

"Daddy, Mommy, Ann!" Eve cried at the top of her lungs, releasing her hold on her brother as she tackled them on the spot. "Good morning!"

"G-good morning," Owain piped in, his face somewhat flushed as he strolled over to them with Zephyr waddling in tow.

Smirking, Yuri crouched to his knees and with his hand stretched outward, began to ruffle their heads, then repeating the same gesture with Repede and his pups. "Top of the morning, kiddos," He chuckled, "So, who's ready for breakfast?"

Eve and Owain eagerly nodded.

"Me, me!"

"I am!"

Yuri beamed. "Alright then," And in a swift motion, quickly scooped them into his arms, causing the siblings to laugh joyfully. "Let's get going!" And advanced forward with Repede and his pups trailing after them.

From a distance, all Estelle could do was giggle to herself prior to witnessing such a heart-warming sight. She felt something wriggling on her hold and lowering her chin, her eyes softened as she was met with a pair of ebony eyes curiously staring back at her.

When she heard her youngest daughter loudly squeal with glee, the pink-haired woman smiled sincerely. "Let's get you changed, okay?" She whispered softly as she strolled over to the changing station situated close to the window.

* * *

With baby Ann cleaned up and changed into a new set of pajamas, mother and daughter gradually descended the spiraling staircase. Once they've reached the foot of the living room, Estelle paused midway in her tracks as her nostrils caught the smell of melting butter and hot sticky syrup.

Glancing back at the bundle in her arms, Estelle tilted her head and asked, "What do you think they're cooking, Ann?"

Baby Ann blinked back at her mother with one of her hands already stuffed inside her drooling mouth.

Smiling, Estelle held her newborn daughter close to her chest as she ambled her way over to the right direction where the kitchen and dining room are located.

Stepping inside, the princess's eyes broadened in size as she saw her husband wearing a yellow apron and with his dominant left hand, held the handle of the iron pan and from the looks of it, seemed to be preoccupied with flipping batches of pancakes. Standing next to him was Owain who was being supported by the small wooden stool with a few empty plates in his hands. At the end of the stool sat Zephyr patiently waiting for his next orders.

Estelle looked the other way, smiling as she watched her eldest daughter riding on the back of the blue canine. Together, the two rotated around the table, stopping every now and then for the little girl to place a spoon and fork on the side of each empty ceramic plates. On the surface of the dining table was a jar of orange juice, a plate of sizzling bacon and eggs, and with a vase of freshly cut flowers at the center.

From the corner of her eye, the pink-haired woman noticed Lambert and Lamia who appeared to be lounging around as they waited for their doggy bowls to get filled with kibbles.

Estelle leisurely strolled to the dining table and ever so carefully, placed her newborn daughter on the highchair sandwiched in between the seats of her and her husband with a warm bottle of breastmilk prepared and ready. Quickly, she scurried over to one of the cupboards, opening it to reveal the kibble boxes.

Twisting her heel, Estelle rushed back to the puppies wagging their tails with excitement. "Here you go," And squatted her knees to distribute the kibbles in each respective bowls.

Lambert and Lamia barked happily, nuzzling their wet noses against her ankles before running back to stuff their mouths with the dog food.

Heaving a sigh of relief, the pink-haired woman strolled back to the dining table where her family was already seated and waiting for her. As soon as she sat on the chair, she inhaled the sweet aroma of pancake goodness and smiled. "Smells wonderful," She commented, clapping her hands together and with a bright smile, asked, "I wonder who could've made it?"

"It was us!" Eve suddenly cried, jumping up from her chair with a big smile on her face. "Owain and I put the ingredients and stirred it together," With the utensils gripped in her hands, she began to move her arms animatedly, "And then Daddy flipped 'em multiple times! It was so awesome!"

"Genevieve, sit down before you fall over," Yuri scolded her as he gently set her back down on her seat though the grin on his face remained intact. "And eat everything on your plate before it gets cold,"

The little girl beamed, silently obliging to his instructions and with a plastic knife in her hands, began to slice the pancakes on her plate.

Her brother, on the other hand, quietly munched, savoring every second of its deliciousness. Peering upwards, he noticed his mother's ornamental attire. "Mommy, where are you going?"

"Mommy's going to a meeting with your Uncle Ioder," Estelle explained, shortly after she managed to get baby Ann to consume her first intake of breastmilk.

Eve beamed. "Can we come along?" She cried, only to frown when she caught sight of her mother shaking her head. "Why not?"

"This meeting is for grown-ups only," Estelle clarified, smiling sweetly, "But it'll be at Deidon Hold which means that I'll probably come home by nighttime," Taking notice of her children's distraught faces, an idea occurred to her. "And I'll be sure to bring some souvenirs when I get back, okay?"

The siblings flinched in their spots. Quickly, they turned to look at each other, exchanging bright smiles before reverting back to focus on their mother and cried, "Yay, yay!" and "Thank you, Mommy!"

Estelle smiled and turned the other way, surprised to find a piece of pancake in front of her. When she realized that it was her husband, with his impish smirk playing on his lips, was the one presenting the food to her with his fork, she rolled her eyes. Even so, she leaned in and happily took the offer.

"Wait, what about Daddy?" Owain suddenly brought up, catching their attention. "Does he have to go somewhere with Uncle Karol, Uncle Raven, and Aunt Judith today?"

"It's my day off," Yuri confirmed to his son, which caused the latter to widen his eyes. Raking his hand through his short dark mane, he chuckled. "I wanted to surprise you guys yesterday but because I was too tired, I sort of forgot,"

Owain shook his head. "It's okay, Daddy," He assured the latter, "But that means you get to spend some time together with me and big sis and Ann!"

Yuri laughed. "That's right, kiddo," And reached out to tousle his hair. "And we're gonna have so much fun,"

And for the next few minutes, the dining table was filled with an abundance of laughter and joy along with baby Ann's constant cooing and Repede and his pup's barking as they conversed with each other, suppressing the silence that dared to threaten the ambiance mood.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, that must be the Royal Guards," Estelle began, excusing herself from the table as she wandered off to open the door. Unbeknownst to her, her husband and their two kids silently followed after her.

Estelle opened the door and as expected, two tall knights clad in armor appeared at their doorstep—the blue and white hues adoring their outfits marking their loyalty to a certain Commandant.

"Lady Lowell," One of the knights greeted the princess and thrusting his arm against his armored chest, bowed graciously in respect. "We are here with the Royal Carriage to escort you to Deidon Hold where His Highness will be waiting for your presence,"

Estelle nodded firmly, secretly pleased that they resorted to addressing her name to her husband's surname (a decision that she did on her own in hopes to irritate the Councilmen even further and to her luck, her cousin and close friend wholeheartedly agreed, reserving her former title, 'Lady Estellise' to those like the Schwann Brigade).

Motioning her head, her expression softened when her husband who cradled their newborn daughter tightly in his arms and their two toddlers came into view.

"I should get going," She began, her expression softening. Veering downwards to gaze at her two kids, she slightly bent her knees and asked them in a gentle tone, "Can you be a good little girl and boy and help your Daddy take care of your baby sister?"

Both Eve and Owain bobbed their heads with delight.

"We'll help Daddy so don't you worry," Eve assured her, giving her thumbs up.

Estelle smiled, leaning in to reward her daughter with a peck on the forehead.

"Yeah, what big sis said!" Owain chimed in, which earned a quick peck as well.

Rising from the floor, Estelle cast her husband a knowing look who in return flashed her a comforting smile.

"Have fun with the kids, okay?"

"Will do," Yuri replied back, stepping forth to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "And send my regards to the little prince for me,"

Rolling her eyes at the nickname he gave to her cousin, Estelle nodded in acknowledgment. She focused her attention to the small bundle resting in her husband's arms and said softly, "Your Daddy, big sister and big brother are going to take good care of you," And leaned forward to plant a quick peck on her daughter's exposed temple.

Estelle watched as Ann wriggled her body, her tiny hands reaching out to her as if to wave goodbye. She smiled as a warm sensation blossomed inside her.

Bidding farewell to her husband and children one last time, the princess departed with the Royal Guards to the gold and white encrusted carriage parked at the entrance of their front yard.

The small family watched as the vehicle wandered off and to the children's relief, caught a quick glimpse of their mother waving at them through the oval-shaped window.

Feeling giddy, Eve advanced through the door with Lambert tagging along behind her.

"Wait, sis!" Owain yelped, chasing after her with Zephyr tailing after him.

"Bye-bye, Mommy!" Eve exclaimed, waving her hands while bouncing up and down. "Come back soon!"

Once the Royal Carrier left their vision, the two siblings raced back inside the house where Yuri, Repede, and their baby sister waited for them at the entrance.

Seconds after they entered through the door, Yuri smiled and with his elbow, pushed the door, closing it with a soft thud. Turning around, the dark-haired man faced his two children who stared back at him with bright smiles on their faces.

Setting a hand on his hip, Yuri exclaimed with, "Alright, men! To your battle stations!"

* * *

Beginning with the dining room, Eve and Owain climbed on their seats to fetch the empty ceramic plates on the table. With the help of the pups, the two siblings managed to get the plates to the kitchen counter.

Meanwhile, Yuri carefully placed baby Ann inside her crib stationed in the living room. Peering over his shoulder, he took notice of the blue dog sauntering over, circling around the crib a few times before resting comfortably on top of the couch where he could get a better look of the babe.

Unfazed by this, Yuri thanked his partner-in-crime by scratching him on the head.

Repede wailed in response, sticking out his tongue as he rested the side of his head against the edge of the couch.

Standing upright, the swordsman hastily rushed back inside the kitchen where his little brats were anticipating his return. Grinning, Yuri approached the kitchen sink. "Let's get started, shall we?" And with that said, took the yellow sponge and began washing the dishes.

Eve and Owain stood next to him, standing on their small wooden stools with one of them gripping the blue rag with their hands.

With the first plate, Yuri handed it over to his son who quietly rubbed the blue cloth along the ceramic surface before presenting it over to his older sister who happily took it as she placed it on the dish rack.

One by one, the trio commenced their work through the brief silence in the large room was disrupted by the occasional barks of the pups and Eve's off-tuned humming.

Once the dishes were washed and the table was squeaky clean, Yuri, Eve, and Owain wandered back to the living room where they were welcomed with Repede and his pups lounging on the carpet.

Plopping themselves on the couch, father and children heaved loud sighs in unison.

"What now, Daddy?" Eve was the first to speak up, sitting close to her father as she propped her head against his elbow.

Yuri frowned, crossing his leg over the other as he ruminated through his thoughts. "Good question," He began, glancing over to his two children and grinning. "What do you guys wanna do?"

The two siblings pondered for a moment.

"Oh, oh!" Owain exclaimed, raising his arm high to catch their attention. "How about we stroll around town?"

Yuri smiled. "Sounds great," He replied, "Before we do that, let's take a quick shower,"

Eve laughed earnestly. "Good call, Daddy!"

* * *

After a quick bath (with the kids and Repede tending to the pups) and a quick change of clothes, it was time to venture off to the outside world.

Closing the door, Yuri adjusted the newborn's head close to the crook of his neck before heading down the small stairs where Eve, Owain, Repede and his pups remained at the bottom of the steps.

"Okay, let's get this party started," Yuri began, leading the way for their group. As they left their house, the small family was greeted with their neighbors with a few elderly couples, women, and children recognizing them instantly and initiating waves toward their general direction.

As always, Yuri and Owain returned the gesture with a silent nod while Eve waved both her arms above her head with sheer enthusiasm, often being accompanied with a bright grin plastered across her face.

Repede and his pups followed along, with the older canine making sure to be close to his owner—in which case, going protective-mode over the third Lowell child.

After bumping into the mayor and his son which triggered a brief conversation, Yuri and his children eventually made it to their destination—the base of the great Halure Tree. The earthy soil was already filled with piles of cherry blossom petals.

As Eve and Owain started to play the game of tag with a few children nearby, the dark-haired man walked further until he was standing before the humungous trunk of the great tree. He shifted his eyes to the right quite constantly, making sure that his children weren't straying too far from where he stood. Once more, he remained unsurprised when he noticed Repede following after the energetic duo with his pups.

Something shuffled in-between his arms, causing Yuri to lower his chin. "What's up, Ann?" He asked the babe as she stared back at him with childlike wonder. He smiled as he watched her attempt to reach out to touch the tip of his nose, only to pause briefly when a single pink petal landed on the bridge of her nose.

Curious, Ann made a cross-eyed expression, her eyebrows furrowing as she couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Chuckling, Yuri leaned closer to blow the petal away, which earned him an adorable squeal.

"Daddy!"

Hearing this, Yuri motioned his head and grinned as he observed his two children approach him with a brown bag.

Yuri arched an eyebrow. "What's that you got there?"

"Mrs. Willows made extra egg sandwiches so she distributed them to the other kids. Owain and I got some too!" Eve explained, lifting her arm high to proudly show off her present to her father.

Owain nodded in agreement. "And there's plenty for you and Ann to eat too!"

"That's good," Yuri replied back, "Did you say thank you?"

Again, the two siblings nodded.

Squatting to his knees, he extended his right hand out. "I'll take them off your hands," He explained and jerked his chin to the direction of the nearby kids playing around. "You guys go on ahead and play,"

Owain frowned. "What about you, Daddy?"

"I'll be waiting here," He assured them with a grin, "Run along and have fun,"

"We will!" Eve answered merrily. Taking her brother's hand and enclosing it with her own, the two siblings scurried off with the pups barking and waddling after them.

Yuri watched them from a distance, smiling. "Guess this is what it must've felt like for the old man," He whispered lowly to himself and shifted his focus in on the pair of ebony eyes that mirrored his own. "Isn't that right, Ann?"

To his surprise, his daughter emitted another high-pitched squeal as if she had understood him.

Yuri widened his eyes, though was quick to revert back to its natural degree.

It must've been his imagination.

* * *

A few hours have passed since then.

The afternoon blue skies gradually waned, transitioning into a crispy, red hue—the start of twilight.

With that said, every window of each house and street lamp implanted all over the town began to ignite, contributing to the beautiful scenic backdrop.

Feeling exhausted, Eve and Owain clumsily trekked back to their house with their father leading the way. Luckily, it was Repede who came to the rescue and through a negotiation between the siblings, Eve was the one who insisted for her younger brother to ride on the blue canine while she assisted with the pups as they often wandered off on their own.

When they finally reached their house and closed the door, Eve released a loud sigh. "What a fun day!" And proceeded to dive straight for the couch with her brother Owain following her example a few seconds after.

Yuri shook his head in dismay as he carefully placed Ann inside her crib. As he gently draped the blanket over her small form, he made his way to the couch and plopped himself in the empty space where he was perfectly seated between his daughter and son. "What else do you wanna do?" He asked, tousling their heads.

"We walked around town and we played around…" Owain trailed off, creasing his eyebrows. "That was my choice…so, that means…" Instinctively, he turned to face his older sibling and asked, "What do you wanna do, big sis?"

When Eve heard her brother's words, she beamed. "Oh, oh!" And raised her arm to wave it from side to side. "I wanna bake some cookies!"

"Just cookies?" Yuri echoed, slanting his head to the side.

"Or…crepes?" Eve muttered to herself, nodding along. "Yeah, forget the cookies! I wanna make crepes!"

Yuri remained quiet as he slowly rose from the couch and strolled inside the kitchen, switching the light on and ambling to the refrigerator.

Worried, the two siblings raced toward their father who was already opening the door of the kitchen appliance and sticking his head in, began to search for the ingredients suitable to make crepes.

Withdrawing, Yuri turned to face his children and grinned. "Crepes, it is,"

And for the next fifteen minutes, they did exactly just that.

With baby Ann fast-asleep and Repede taking the duty of monitoring her, Yuri used this time by teaching Eve and Owain how to make crepes in the dining table.

"Be sure to stir the batter for the next five minutes," He instructed Eve who nodded enthusiastically as she continued to sing her merry song to herself. Veering over to his son in charge of washing the berries in the kitchen sink, he grinned. "Good job, Owain," He commented, causing the latter to stop what he was doing and look up with twinkling eyes. "Keep it up, okay?"

Beaming, Owain nodded firmly and concentrated on his efforts.

Yuri chuckled and went on with flipping the thin batches of pancakes, though made sure not to exert too much pressure to keep it intact.

Since the dessert was similar to pancakes, all that needed to be done was to implement white frosting, batches of blueberries and strawberries and chocolate syrup.

"Wow!" Eve cried, smiling widely as she marveled at the plate of three crepes that they made together on the table. "It looks so yummy!"

Yuri nodded in agreement. "Great, huh?" Something tugged the hem of his tunic. Curious, he glanced down to find his son. "What's wrong, little man?"

"Do you think we could make some for Mommy and Ann?" He wondered aloud, twiddling his fingers.

Yuri grinned. "Your Mom would eat it but I don't think your sister can," He explained in a gentle tone, "Ann is only a few weeks old so she could only get her nutrition from milk," Catching the crestfallen look on his son's expression, he quickly added in, "But I'm sure she'll be happy to know that her big bro was considerate,"

Processing his words, Owain flushed red. "Y-you think so?"

"I know so," And tousled his pink head, which earned him another beaming smile. Gathering the plates together, Yuri proceeded to distribute each plate of crepe to Eve and Owain. "I'll meet you guys in the living room. I've got to start making supper for Repede and the others,"

Owain nodded and walked off, leaving Eve alone with Yuri in the kitchen.

"Daddy?"

Pausing in his steps, the dark-haired man turned around and smiled. "Yeah, Eve?"

"Can I help you?" She began, putting her plate of crepes on top of the chair and rushing to his side. "I wanna make food for Lambert and Repede and the other puppies,"

Yuri frowned. "What about your crepe?" He pointed out, "It's going to get cold, you know,"

"I don't care," Eve replied with a bright smile on her face. "I wanna make them happy!"

Yuri laughed. "Great answer, Eve," He expressed, lifting her small body from the wooden flooring and placing her on her wooden stool. "So, what do you think we should make?"

"Green peas and chicken!" Eve exclaimed, flashing him a toothy smile.

"Another great answer," He agreed, heading over to the refrigerator to get the recommended ingredients inside. To his delight, his little girl was already standing close to him with her tiny arms extended out to accept the substances of food from her father.

Twenty minutes later and the dog food—cooked chicken with green peas was steaming deliciously. Using a tray, Yuri seized hold of each doggy bowl and with the support of Eve, who also held a tray of her own with Lambert's bowl, father and daughter entered the living room where they found Owain making funny faces to make his baby sister laugh. Inside the crib, they heard the high-pitched laughter coming from the babe.

Setting down the tray, Yuri whistled, triggering Repede and his puppies to come in and begin dining with their supper.

His ears picked up Eve's jubilant laughter as she ushered Lambert to eat. Standing up, Yuri walked toward the crib and sticking his head inside, smiled as he was greeted with his daughter's toothless smile. Ever so carefully, he extended his arms outward to carefully take hold of her small form and was quick to adjust as he felt his daughter already wriggling prior to his cold touch. "It's okay, Ann," He whispered, pecking her on the temple. "Daddy's here now,"

Unfortunately, Ann's expression contorted and shaping her hands into fists, released an outburst.

Yuri sighed, tightening his hold on his baby daughter as he side-glanced his children who gave him sympathetic smiles.

"I'll go get her bottle," Eve assured her father and scurried back inside the kitchen to retrieve it.

"Maybe the Mieu doll would make her feel better," Owain suggested and quickened his pace to go upstairs to the bedroom he shared together with his older sister.

Yuri smiled, grateful to have Eve and Owain in times when he was in need of assistance. Since Eve was born, he did what he could to take on the role as a father and thanks to Karol, his schedule enabled him to get a chance to be with his wife and children on a daily basis with the members of Brave Vesperia often surprising them with individual visits to babysit the children once in a while, encouraging the married couple to get some quality time together.

That was about six years ago.

And now, here he was—thirty-one-years-old and a father of three children. Though difficult at first, Yuri learned through experience…and with a certain old man.

He leisurely strolled over to the wall where a few framed pictures were displayed—pictures of his youth together with Flynn, of the community that made up the Lower Quarter, members of Brave Vesperia, a few pictures of their children when they used to be babies, and at the very heart of the collection was of him, Estelle, Flynn, their found family, Marie, Ted, the Schwann Brigade, Ioder, the Four Spirits, and their children huddled together with Repede and his pups…with Hanks producing one of his dumb smiles.

Yuri looked down at his daughter who, too was awestruck by the picture as well.

"That's your family, Ann," He began, closing the distance between them and the medium-sized framed picture. "You and your siblings are lucky to have so many Aunts, Uncles, and cousins…"

Ann emitted a burst of merry laughter.

"You're well-loved in this house, remember that," The dark-haired man emphasized his words to his cooing daughter and with a softened expression, said to her, "I can't wait until you grow up, big and strong and lively like Eve and Owain. And when that happens, all five of us and everyone else in our family will go on an adventure together, just like old times,"

"We'll take you anywhere, wherever your heart desires," He continued, peering upwards to get a good look at his smiling late foster father. Recalling the statement that the latter would often assure him every now and then, Yuri heaved in a deep breath as he began to weave his own declaration.

"And no matter what happens or what path you've chosen, you'll have us—your Mom, Eve, Owain, Repede, Uncle Flynn, Karol, Raven, Ioder, Aunt Judith, Rita, and Patty, Ted and Marie, Sarah and Seliph, even LeBlanc and the Schwann Brigade and I…we'll always be here to watch over you and support you," Yuri produced a prideful smirk as he gazed intently at the old man in the picture before retreating a few steps back to absorb every single individual captured in the family picture. Reverting his attention to his baby daughter who held a promising future in her eyes, he leaned closer to rub their noses together and muttered, "Always,"

Ann smiled, nuzzling her cheek against her father's and letting out another high-pitched squeal.

Breaking away, Yuri turned around and grinned as he noticed his other children, Eve and Owain, standing before him with bright smiles on their faces, each holding a bottle of breastmilk and Mieu doll. Before he could open his mouth, the two siblings rushed forward and tackled his legs—with Eve wrapping her arms around his left while Owain seizes his right.

Yuri's eyes softened and held the bundle of joy in his arms tighter than ever before.

* * *

The clock struck nine o'clock.

After a quick supper of mabo curry and a nice, hot bath—with the children changed into their pajamas, there was one last thing left to successfully conclude the day. Together, Eve and Owain insisted that their father should read them a bedtime story.

"Do you have one in mind?" Yuri asked them as he tried to sit down comfortably on the couch with his baby daughter sprawled across his lap as the two toddlers crowded around him.

Eve bobbed her head excitedly. "We want you to read one of Mommy's books," She declared as she pulled out the large book with a cover depicting of a lone wolf howling to a full moon with three stars in the night sky.

Yuri raised an eyebrow, accepting the book being offered to him and examining the title. "The wolf and the moon," He murmured, growing interested. "Nice taste," And then an idea occurred to him. "Before we read this, why don't we change the scenery?"

Eve and Owain turned to look at each other and frowned.

"What do you mean, Daddy?" Owain was the first to ask, tipping his head curiously.

A mischievous smirk spread across his lips. "You'll see," And Yuri stood up, ushering them to get out of the couch, gently placed Ann back inside her crib. Turning back to the couch, he began to remove the seat cushions and placing them on the respective edges. Grabbing the nearby blankets on the coffee table, he spread them on top of the couch and let it cascade downwards.

Catching on to what he meant, Eve cried, "Pillow fort!" And rose up to assist her father who left to go to the dining room and coming back with two chairs.

"I wanna help too!" Owain piped in, scrambling to his feet as he helped his sister gather other supplies that would contribute to the fort.

Five minutes later and the pillow fort was made—surprisingly, Yuri managed to squeeze in with his youngest daughter curled up inside his arms with Eve and Owain effortlessly entering inside, followed by Repede and his puppies.

"Everyone settled in?" He asked aloud. When he heard unanimous cheers from his children, constant barks from Repede and the puppies and squealing from the baby resting on his lap, Yuri smiled. "Alright, let's get started…" Clearing his throat, he opened the first few pages of the book. "Once upon a time, there lived a wolf with no pack of his own…"

All of a sudden, their ears picked up the sound of a distant wailing.

Immediately, Eve abruptly stood up from her seat and with her seafoam eyes twinkling like stars, rushed to go to the entrance. As she quickened her pace, her hands unconsciously brushed the shiny feather necklace adorning around her neck. "Ba'ul!" She exclaimed, already pulling the door.

Yuri and Owain exchanged smiles and as they moved out of the pillow fort, chased after the little girl who was already jumping up and down as her prediction turned out to be true.

Lo and behold, there it was—the flying giant slowly descending from the heavens.

Without warning, Eve scrambled off with Lambert quick on her trail.

On the other hand, Yuri and Owain casually strolled with Repede, Zephyr, and Lamia in tow. Cradling Ann in his arms, Yuri carefully readjusted her position, allowing his daughter to nuzzle her cheek against his neck.

As they headed for the main entrance of the town, their eyes widened as they were met with the presence of familiar faces.

"Mommy!" Owain cried, leaving his father's side and rushing forward as he joined his big sister who already beaten him to the punch as she had tackled their mother onto the ground a few seconds ago.

Estelle crinkled her lips to a smile, inclining her body forward to welcome them into her arms. "I'm home," And peered upwards, her eyes softening as she observed her husband approaching them.

"Welcome back," He expressed and offered his hand toward her.

Estelle giggled, smiling away as she slowly released her children from her hold and graciously accepted the latter's hand and with his support, managed to stand upright. "It's good to be back," She replied, closing the distance between them and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Focusing her attention on the newborn, she asked, "Have you been a good girl today?"

Ann squealed, reaching out for her mother.

Estelle grinned, accepting her daughter in her warm embrace and once more, inhaling her powdery scent.

"So, care to explain?" Yuri asked, crossing his arms as he watched Eve and Owain greet their Aunts, Uncles, and cousins who slowly emerged from the cabin of the large ship.

The princess smiled. "The meeting went well," She began, turning around to face the same general direction as her husband and giggling when she caught sight of Eve hugging Sarah to death while Owain received an affectionate pat on the head by Seliph. "Ioder left early to tend to his royal duties and while I was wandering around, I happened to have stumbled across Rita and the others,"

"They wanted to see you and the children so I invited them over for dinner and to sleep overnight," She concluded, casting him a side-glance with a sheepish grin. "You don't mind, do you?"

Yuri shook his head. "Whether we like it or not, we're stuck with them,"

Registering his words, Estelle gasped. "Yuri!"

The dark-haired man laughed. "I'm kidding," He assured her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close, nuzzling his nose along her exposed neck. "You're too easy to tease,"

Estelle rolled her eyes and yet, even so, relished the warmth that her husband was providing her. And then, she heard a low groan. Concerned, she peered over her shoulder. "Something wrong, Yuri?"

"I just realized…" Yuri began, raking through his short mane, "If I'm going to make more curry, I'll have to get more ingredients,"

Estelle giggled, taking his hand with hers and leading him toward the large group. "Lucky for you," She began with a bright smile on her face, "We bought groceries just for the occasion,"

Yuri blinked, followed by a low groan. "Tell me you're just pulling my leg,"

"Maybe I am," The princess drawled, followed by a wink. "Maybe I'm not,"

Shaking his head, Yuri laughed. Despite being worn out for taking care of the children for the entire day, for some reason, he couldn't suppress the large grin that was adorning across his face.

And as he and his wife reunited with their found family and friends, he knew that this was not the end...

As their next adventure was just around the corner.

* * *

**And that marks the end of this wonderful one-shot!**

**I'm not sure if any of you were aware of this but this entire fanfic was littered with many easter eggs and of course, a cameo with my favorite background character-Hanks.**

**In the beginning of the story, we see Yuri embracing his third child which is a reference to the picture of Hanks and baby Yuri sleeping (found in the epilogue), the family breakfast with pancakes (this one was inspired by an official image of Yuri flipping pancakes), crepes and strawberry which I've headcanon to be Yuri's signature favorite as depicted in multiple official pictures of him when it consists of desserts, the pictures hanging on the walls are the same photos that Yuri found in the epilogue, Yuri's statement to Ann mirrors the same one that Hanks tells him on the first chapter of Father and Son and Estelle's book-a wolf (Yuri), the full moon (Estelle) and the three stars (their children) are implied.**

**Speaking of children, I wanted to point out that Owain's name means 'white wolf' and is supposed to be a merge of Yuri's motif as a wolf and Estelle as a child of the full moon. His birthday is around the same time as when his parents were wedded.**

**For Ann, her full name is commemorating Hanks as it means 'grace of God' and is also somewhat named after Estellise. Her birthday, as you might've guessed is also important as it is around the time when dear old Hanks passed away.**

**For Sarah and Seliph, their names will be explored soon and are going to be the next ones to be focused on in the future.**

**I also would like to point out that the inspiration behind this one-shot was due to the voice actor's and their children. Estelle's EN voice actress has two children and Yuri's JP voice actor is rumored to have a wife and two children and is living happily. I originally planned Yustelle to have two children until I realized that Troy Baker, Yuri's EN voice actor recently became a father and to commemorate that, a third child was written and hence, we got Ann**

**As always, thank you so much for your support-however, unlike last time, the mini spin-off series would be randomly published on a different date compared to weekends.**

**After this, I would resume with SoSN and checkmate (that would be next).**

**Feel free to comment down below on what you think! (I'm open and eager to hear your opinions and your criticisms!) and in the A03 community, leave kudos if you'd like!**

**Until then, please wait patiently for the next update!**

**Thank you one and all!**


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